Women grow hair on their faces, that’s just the truth. Some women choose to leave this hair, some pluck it, some wax it. It's a personal choice and all options are equally valid. It's a question we're asked often, so we circled the advice of our team on two of the most popular options: dermaplaning and shaving.

So I obviously know what it means to shave my face, but what is dermaplaning? 

The first thing to know about dermaplaning and shaving is that they’re not the same thing. Shaving will just remove the vellus hair from your face. It might offer some exfoliation. Dermaplaning is meant to exfoliate dead skin cells and remove hair. This is done by gently scraping your skin with a sterile scalpel, not unlike one that you’d see on an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, but not as scary.

Oh interesting, and what are the benefits?

“The immediate benefits of dermaplaning are baby smooth texture & appearance,” our Skin Therapist, Melissa says. This makes it a great tool for flawless makeup application. From a skin health perspective, it can also help with hyperpigmentation, as you’re exfoliating a layer of skin, working towards the deeper layers that don’t have the pigmentation issue. Long term, our Skin Therapist Wanda says, “eventually the hair gets thinner and thinner until its completely gone. It can also result in better penetration of skincare products.”

Sold, can everyone dermaplane their skin?

Most people can have dermaplaning done. However, it is not for everyone. “I would not recommend this to a client with acne prone skin,” our Skin Therapist Alexis warns. “Reason being that, if you have a bit of a breakout, especially cystic acne, that is broken by the razor then it can cause the condition to get worse, spread the infection, and lead to more breakouts.” Our Skin Therapist Melissa adds that you should also skip the scalpel if “you are a true sensitive skin type, have certain skin conditions, or are anyone using prescription strength retinoids or on Accutane.”

Sounds good! Any thoughts on shaving?

Of course! Shaving is great for what our Skin Therapist, Joanne, calls “peach fuzz removal.” Which is such a cute image, to be honest. This makes it ideal for an at home choice. Just remember that shaving is a form of exfoliation, so cut back on other forms of exfoliation in the areas you shave. Make sure to shave in the direction of the growth to avoid irritation and to always use a new or sanitized blade to not spread bacteria.

Can anyone shave their face?

Joanne warns that it’s not the answer for everyone. “For dark hair on the upper lip, chin or 'sideburn' area, waxing or threading is the best option. Hair is these areas will result in 'stubble' when regrowth occurs. Also as with dermaplaning, our Skin Therapist, Stephanie warns, “if you have a cold sore, severe rosacea, or a sunburn, then this isn’t for you right now.” She also reminds you to not shave over active blemishes; this can cause a deepening of the acneic infection and/or scarring.

Should I do this type of thing at home or should I be leaving this to a professional?

We’d recommend leaving the scalpel to the experts. “I always recommend only every 28 days because you need to allow the skin to heel and allow a natural cellular turnover for best results,” Wanda recommends. As for shaving, if you must do it, purchase the ol' grandpa swivel single blade with double edges. It’s the best way to prevent breakouts and or ingrown hairs." If you’d like to try it, we’re of course here to chat. So ask your Skin Therapist at your next facial if this is something your skin would take to well.